The First Coast Blues Society is a non-profit 501(3)c corporation and Blues Foundation Affiliate established for Blues musicians & fans to promote, preserve, support, encourage, and share their PASSION for Blues Music on the First Coast in Jacksonville Florida!
Our purpose – "to create a genuine grassroots community that fosters camaraderie amongst fans and sustains blues musicians. We strive to inform, engage and energize the public about blues music at the local level, ensuring that the genre remains a vibrant and vital facet of the larger music ecosystem. This shared purpose and power make the network of Blues Affiliates essential to the vitality of the contemporary blues scene". (Patricia Wilson Aden, Blues Foundation)
We create and generate charitable functions like the FCBS Care & Share, The Blues Foundation's HART FUND and FCBS Regional Blues Challenge to help various local and national beneficial organizations. We also participate in local festivals like The Annual Springing The Blues Festival.
Local bands are our driving force and our list of local talent is grand:
Smokestack, Toots Loraine and The Traffic, Guitar Red, Hat and Matching Suitcase, Mojo Roux, Billy Buchanan and his Rock & Soul Revue, Melt Behind The Wheel, Mama Blue, Greg Cuje Project, Second Shot Band, Kim Reteguiz & The Black Cat Bones, Big John Austill, Cat McWilliams Band, Allie and The Kats, Andy Toomey, Kato and Jiffy Feet, Lightning Sam Long, T Martin and The Troublemakers, Ivan Pulley Band, Blackwater Swamp Band, John Parker Urban, Good Wood Band, West Brook with Ginger Beard Man, Gerald Roberts and Will Hurley, Brady Clampitt, Paul Ivey and the Souls of Joy, Milltown Road Band, Bonnie Blue, Jenna Martinez, Melissa Smith, Bear and Robert, David Julia Band, Mark Stewart, Buddy Crump and The Cross Tie Walkers, Traveling Litt and the Purveyor, Reckless and Blue, Whitewater, Wildfire Rising, The Snacks Blues Band, The Rip Currents, Charlie Mayne Band, Bluesdog66, Mark & Myrna, Jacksonville Slim and Express Train, Cassidy Lee Barden, Highway Jones, Roy Book Binder, Cindy Bear & Franc Robert, Back Alley Cadillac, Off The Cuff, Honey Hounds, Danny Delves and The Deadly Nightshades, Them Vagabonds, The Billy Monarch Band, The Shakedown, Jazzy Blue, Noisy Neighbors, Henry Jones, Madison Carr, The Raiford Brothers Band, Kapowski, Side Hustle, 2fye Octopi, Blues Bishop Band, The Deviljays, Split Town Saints, Cowford Town Band, Under The Bus Blues Band, Dalton Ammerman, The Push, Schizophrenic Sky, Kyle Yardley Band, Duffy Bishop Band, Serious Business, Rachel Hillman, Special Formula Band, Valor, Randy Bluesdog Cash, Alex Richman, Disciples of the South, Bridget Kelly Band, Eryn & Mat O'ree, Doug Tibbs of HUMAN, Paul Wayne of Duval County Line, Jeff Ganz Mike Maple & Tony Scozzaro, Harley Lamoureux, Swamp Cabbage, Bryce Alastair Band, Matt O'Ree Band, Gabe Stillman, Little Mike and the Tornadoes, 9lb Hammer, LochHess Monsters, Voodoo Monkeys....just to name a few.
Blues in Northeast Florida has an amazing history! Once a major stop on the historical Chitlin Circuit, almost 100 years later, many variations of Blues continues to dominate the Northeast Florida music scene. So why not join the First Coast Blues Society and help support the Blues in Northeast Florida. Membership brings many benefits. You will know about blues events throughout the metropolitan Jacksonville area, Northeast Florida and any major events beyond our borders! Especially if our local artists are traveling! You can contribute to our blues heritage through a broad range of volunteer activities, and share your musical talents during many of the monthly blues jams happening all over the city.
PROGRAMS
Local Care & Share Benefit Events
A Night of Hope
Regional Blues Challenge
Annual Hart Fund
Monthly New & Blue Sunday
The Blues Foundation in Memphis established the HART Fund (Handy Artists Relief Trust) for Blues musicians and their families in financial need due to a broad range of health concerns. The fund provides for acute, chronic and preventive medical and dental care as well as funeral and burial expenses. The First Coast Blues Society, as an affiliate of The Blues Foundation, organized a Day of HART Fundraiser during February, The Blues Foundation's Month of HART. The First Coast Blues Society is holding this event with 100% (after expenses) of money raised going to the Blues Foundation's HART Fund.
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We at FCBS are proud to be partnering with Whiskey Jax Kitchen & Cocktails - Baymeadows & Beaches to continue to bring a monthly night of new, original BLUES music and artists from near and far! This is now a recurring First Coast Blues Society showcase of local, regional and national touring blues acts that produce and perform original blues based music!
The 3rd Annual First Coast Blues Society Community Care & Share Event on Jan. 31 was an amazing success! J.R. Roberts of Mojo Roux was the benefactor of the incredible night of music and generosity. The First Coast Blues Society’s musical family united at Mojo Roux's musical home, Whiskey JAX Baymeadows, to share music and raise support for J.R. during his time of need.
For almost eight hours, these outstanding bands kept the music coming: Wildfire Rising, Second Shot Band, Jacksonville Slim and Express Train, Highway Jones, 9lb Hammer, Smokestack, LochHess Monsters and Voodoo Monkeys and MOJO ROUX. More than 300 fans showed up early and stayed late. A memorabilia, merchandise and gift cards raffle complimented the music. Also bands donated gift bags. (Second Shot, Just Us, Blistur, DCL, Highway Jones and Jason Evans Band) All proceeds went to JR, who made a well-received appearance.
Thank you to ALL who attended, Whiskey Jax Baymeadows – management and staff -- for the awesome service and accommodations and the talented bands for mega entertainment.
The International Blues Challenge (IBC) represents a worldwide search for the Blues Band and Solo/Duo Blues Acts ready to perform on the international stage, yet just needing that extra big break. Each Affiliate of The Blues Foundation has the right to send a band and a solo/duo act to represent its organization at the IBC.
The IBC is judged by blues professionals from across the world who have years of experience in listening to, producing, and creating blues music. The Blues Foundation has established a set of criteria by which all acts are evaluated throughout the five days of the IBC.
Affiliated organizations are required to stage a regional preliminary IBC competition, with the winner of that event representing the organization in the International Blues Challenge held annually in Memphis, TN along historic Beale Street. While Affiliated Organizations are encouraged to follow The Blues Foundation’s structure and rules during their local challenges, each organization is free to structure its preliminary rounds as it sees fit, as long as a true challenge between multiple acts takes place resulting in a single band and/or solo/duo act being identified.
Our Board of Directors
Jay A. Smith
President
Band Liaison
Dave Swaney
Secretary
Blues Harp
Artist Networking
Jim McClure
Stage & Sound
Percussion
Chad Williams
Vice President
Website
Membership
Cherry Gravens
Treasurer
Entertainment Support Comittee
Jo R Cee
Velvet Hammer
Entertainment
Audience Generator
Photography
Event Logistics
Stage Moderator
Lonnie Lynch
Graphic Design
Networking
Marketing Generation
Richard Borders
Media Wizard
Lighting Video Lazers
Scully
Enrique
Blues MOJO Mascot
